


Secrets in the Senate Building

by Elendiliel



Series: Lightning Strikes [18]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Planet Coruscant (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29359536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elendiliel/pseuds/Elendiliel
Summary: A Jedi's work is never done, and nor, in wartime, is a general's. Anakin Skywalker's all-too-brief time back on Coruscant with Senator Amidala is interrupted by a request for aid from another Jedi Knight. But while her interruption might not exactly be welcome, catching up with an old friend is always good.
Series: Lightning Strikes [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2087898
Comments: 4
Kudos: 2





	Secrets in the Senate Building

**Author's Note:**

> This elaborates on something I skated over in "Friends Old and New". I didn't want to write it down until I was sure it wasn't going to be too glaringly canon-divergent.
> 
> Chronology: soon after the siege of Anaxes ("Unfinished Business"), before Yerbana ("Old Friends Not Forgotten") and concurrent with my fic "Friends Old and New".

“Anakin!”

General Anakin Skywalker didn’t initially register that someone was calling his name. Even after all this time, Padmé’s presence could make it hard for him to focus on anything else. It was she who noticed the young woman striding towards them, deftly weaving around knots of politicians, diplomats and officials without apparent effort, or conscious thought. Recognising her also took a little while, although he had known her, at least by sight, for years. She was just completely out of context. What was Helli Abbasa doing in the Senate building?

By rights, the Jedi Knight should have looked out of place in the corridors of power. When Anakin had first met her, she had been a shy young padawan, all eyes, curls and limbs, splitting her time between the library and the sparring ring, and excelling in both places, but nowhere else – yet. Time and the war had changed that. Now she was the commander of a semi-independent strike team within his own legion, the 501st, very much a leader after his own heart – out in front, first among equals rather than believing herself naturally superior – and so closely bonded to her nominal subordinates that she was almost an honorary clone. Not yet a pure soldier – the number of missions Lightning Squadron had pulled off without firing a shot testified to that – but she spent far more time with her team, even between missions, than with other Jedi. Friendships between Jedi and clones were common; Anakin had only to think of his own relationship to his second-in-command, Rex, to know that. Obi-Wan and Cody were similarly close, as were Plo Koon and Wolffe. But Helli and her men took that relationship to another level.

Rank and responsibility had given her much-needed confidence. She had clearly just come from the training hall, going by the state of her working robes and irretrievably wild curls, which yet again had what looked like bits of one of the cheap combs she hadn’t learned not to buy stuck in them, and her combat boots were muddy and unlaced, but she looked as at home in the most politically important building in the galaxy as she did in the Temple. In fact, it was the people she passed who seemed momentarily as incongruous as they might on a parade ground. It was quite a transformation, and Anakin rather liked things that way. Helli had always been a potentially brilliant Jedi, and she was starting to realise that. She had become quite good-looking, too, although of course she couldn’t compare to his wife.

“Koh-to-ya, Anakin.” _That_ hadn’t changed; Helli always insisted on the formal greeting, even with her peers, and had only recently started to use his first name. Anakin was only a year older than her, and they held the same ranks within both the Order and the army, but by Rex’s definition he certainly outranked her. He responded in kind.

“Koh-to-ya, Helli. Have you met Senator Amidala of Naboo?”

“Once, briefly. Greetings, Senator. It’s an honour and a pleasure to meet you again.” The formality of Helli’s words was undermined by her broad smile.

“Greetings, General Abbasa. It’s a pleasure and an honour to see you, as well. I’ve heard a great deal about you from General Skywalker. What brings you here?” Padmé’s blend of directness and courtesy was one of the many things Anakin loved about her.

“I’m afraid I need a word with Anakin in private, if I may.” Helli looked genuinely apologetic. Did she sense their relationship? One could never be quite sure with her, when it came to such things. “But it will keep a little while if necessary.”

“No, it’s fine. The Senator and I weren’t discussing anything too important.” Hoping nobody could see, Anakin met Padmé’s eyes, conveying a _sorry about this_ message. She sent back _I understand_. They had gone through this too many times in their marriage.

“The Code bites hard sometimes, doesn’t it?”, Helli commented as they found somewhere they could talk without being disturbed, or overheard. Clearly she could sense some of what was going on between Anakin and Padmé, but perhaps not all of it. Anakin doubted that she would tell anyone. He was fairly certain she and her sergeant were in love, but had chosen to remain just friends. In their position, that was probably the right thing to do, objectively speaking, but he didn’t think he could have done it.

“Yes, it does.” Anakin’s tone shut down that conversation before the congenitally honest young woman could realise the truth. She might not want to get her friend into trouble, but he couldn’t take the risk. “Now, what did you want from me?”

Helli snapped straight into business mode. “I need non-military transport for a nine-person deniable operation. Master Windu said you were the one to ask.”

“He was right.” Anakin found a scrap of paper and scribbled the contact details of someone he happened to know (never you mind how) who would suit her requirements. “He’ll be able to lend you something. Just say you’re a friend of mine. It won’t be perfect, but it should get you there, wherever you’re going. Am I allowed to know where that is?”

“Probably not, I’m afraid. Thank you. If I’m any judge, one of the other team on this mission will have whatever crate we end up with in better nick when it’s returned than when I borrow it.”

“What team’s that?” Anakin already had a suspicion, given the nature of Helli’s squad, and certain recent events on Skako Minor and Anaxes.

“The Bad Batch.” He’d been right. “I understand you’ve worked with them. Any advice?”

“Just let them do their jobs. They don’t like being ordered around. Or stealth missions.”

“I’ll try. But this _has_ to be done discreetly, which is why we’ve been sent as well.”

“Well, good luck with that. By the way, I assume you know Echo’s back?”

Helli’s grin ran almost from one pointed ear to the other. “Most certainly. I couldn’t be happier about it, apart from all that ironmongery the Techno Union saw fit to give him. I suppose it’ll be useful, but it really doesn’t suit him.” She meant Echo’s cybernetic implants. They had helped him secure their victory on Anaxes, but Anakin saw her point.

“And how’s your new man settling in?” Officially, Lightning Squadron had just gained another member to “replace” Fives, but Anakin was fairly sure all was not as it seemed, and that Helli knew he knew that.

“Oh, fine. Of course it’s not the same as before, but he’ll do.” If Anakin was correct, he most certainly would. A different tattoo and a well-faked paper trail couldn’t hide the fact that “Sixes” had the same Force-presence as the legally dead Fives. Anakin didn’t know how Fives was still alive, having seen and sensed him die in Rex’s arms, but he knew that if there had been any chance to bring him back his brothers and sister would have taken it. One of Anakin’s first thoughts when Fives had been shot had been _how am I going to explain this to Helli?_ You only had to spend five minutes in the same room as Lightning Squadron to see how much they loved one another, and that they would give their lives for each other in a heartbeat. Telling her about Fives’ death had been one of the hardest challenges of his life. He was glad that things had worked out, and hoped that one day she would trust him enough to explain how that had happened.

Helli interrupted his train of thought, having just seen the time. “I’d better go if I want to sort this out and still get anything from the refectory. Coming?”

“I have other things to do this evening.” Actually, he’d arranged to spend the evening with Padmé. They spent so little time together these days, even in public, let alone as husband and wife. “I’ll probably be off-world again by the time you get back from your mission, but we should have a proper catch-up some time.”

“I’d like that. Thanks again for your help. Give my regards to Senator Amidala, and may the Force be with you.”

“May the Force be with you, and good luck.” He watched her stride away, a woman on a mission, before heading off to find Padmé again. Helli had definitely grown up since the war began, and he thought he preferred the new model. Maybe he should have told her about his marriage, after all. If anyone could keep that secret, she could, and he sometimes felt he needed to tell _someone_. Obi-Wan had probably guessed, and likely didn’t approve, but Helli might understand. Oh well. Next time.


End file.
